


you raise me up

by radiantgem



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Fluff, Found Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, post kh3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-24 14:08:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17102036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radiantgem/pseuds/radiantgem
Summary: “Do you really have to go?” She asked quietly.She could feel him tense up at the question. He nodded. “Yes, I do.”“But why?”“It’s. . . so I can become a better person.”“But you’re already a good person.”Terra chuckled lightly. “It’s not that simple.”She pouted. “Why not?”“Because more and more of my memories are coming back,” his voice turned more somber as he spoke, “as my time as Ansem’s apprentice.”





	you raise me up

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! :)  
> If it's not already obvious I'm pushing my Wayfinder!Namine agenda in most of my fics she's in, this fic will focus on her developing relationships with the Wayfinders and just growing as a character where she learns about it what it means to be a part of a family and what that means for different people. While Terra won't be present with her, he will still be around in a long distance way, and he will have his own closure for the things he was forced to do in BBS.  
> Basically I want these two to grow and be happy and this is me projecting everything I want. I hope you'll enjoy!

“I figured I’d find you out here.”

Namine flinched at the sound of Terra’s voice, but continued to stare down at her notebook and sketch. She was trying to clear her mind by capturing the colors the sunset painted on the sky and on the castle. She heard him sigh as he sat beside her, and she noticed that he was sitting a little farther away from her than he usually did. He wasn’t saying anything either, and she could feel that his eyes were looking elsewhere.

Of course he would do this. She is _trying_ to be upset at him, and yet he is still being considerate. He’s giving her space, he’s not asking her any questions, nor is he pressuring her to talk by even looking at her. She inwardly sighed.

“Do you really have to go?” She asked quietly.

She could feel him tense up at the question. He nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“But why?”

“It’s. . . so I can become a better person.”

“But you’re _already_ a good person.”

Terra chuckled lightly. “It’s not that simple.”

She pouted. “Why not?”

“Because more and more of my memories are coming back,” his voice turned more somber as he spoke, “as my time as Ansem’s apprentice.”

Namine froze. She never got to fully look into his memories like she did with Sora, but she did use the traces of him in those memories to locate him a long time ago. She only got glimpses of his time there, doing paperwork and the occasional memory of looking at a grim hallway full of doors with bars in the small openings.

She knew those memories weren’t good.

“Some of the people that were involved are still alive, and I just want to help them in any way I can.”

_To fix someone else’s mess._

“That wasn’t you, Terra.” She looked up from her sketchbook and gave him an earnest look, “That was all Xehanort. You would never do those things.”

Terra looked at her, and she saw how tired his brown eyes looked. He gave her a small smile. “I know, but I’m the one left with all the memories. I can’t just do nothing.” He turned his gaze towards the sunset. “I won’t be at peace until I do.”

Namine gripped her notebook, rubbing her thumb against the paper. “I understand, but- I wish you didn’t have to leave.”

Terra placed a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. “Hey, it won’t be forever. It’ll only be for a week. You’ll barely notice I’m gone.”

Namine had a hard time believing that. She frowned.

Terra looked over and gave her a sympathetic smile. “Come on,” he poked her shoulder, “Ventus and Aqua are still going to be here you know.” He paused. “You won’t be alone.”

Being alone wasn’t necessarily her concern, though it was nice knowing she would be left in good company in a castle for once. “I know,” she said.

“Ventus can help you in your daily exercises. It’s important you keep up with that, since you have a habit of staying in one spot for a long time when you draw. And Aqua can help you with improving your magic and self defense training. And hey, if you ask her, maybe she’ll even let you sleep over one of your friend’s house. Just make sure to ask her beforehand though, you know how she gets.”

Namine hummed.

“I’ll call every day, alright? Before I go to sleep, I’ll call and ask how you all were for the day. I’ll let you know how things are over there too, so you know how I’m doing. Okay kiddo?” Terra tilted his head to the side, searching her eyes for an answer.

Namine finally looked up and met his eyes. His eyes looked apologetic and concerned. She felt a twinge of guilt for being the cause for those emotions, especially when she knew he needed this. But she couldn’t help it if she was sad he was going to be gone, even if it was for only seven days. She had grown the most attached to him out of the small group, and spent the majority of her time around him. Whether it was when they were collaborating on art projects, doing household chores together, or simply just hanging out in his room in silence on nights she couldn’t sleep. She liked the quiet sense of comfort he radiated. He was awkward with words at times, so for the most part he didn’t speak, and let his actions do the talking. It was calming to be around him, and she had grown accustomed to leaning on him for support whenever she felt anxious for that sort of company. It grounded her into reality, feeling at ease with someone else, it made her feel like she belonged in this world.

She supposed she could find something like that in Ventus and Aqua, she just hadn’t spent enough time with them to find out. Maybe the week away will do some good for her too.

It still didn’t ease the choking feeling in her throat though.

“Promise?” Namine held out her pinky.

Terra softly scoffed at the sight, but smiled warmly. He held out his pinky and gently wrapped it around hers, his almost dwarfing hers. “Promise.”

 

* * *

 

When the sun started to set and they made their way back to the castle, Namine reached out and wrapped her hand around Terra’s fingers.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, like he always did.

“A week isn’t a long time,” she said.

“That’s right. It’ll be over before you know it,” he said encouragingly.

“But I’ll still miss you.”

There was a beat of silence. She kept looking ahead as they walked up the stairs, and she heard him sniff. It was her turn to squeeze his hand.

“I’ll miss you too kiddo,” he murmured.

 

* * *

 

 “Can you do me a favor while I’m gone?”

Namine winced at the word. Gone. It made it feel as if he wasn’t coming back. She rubbed at the lace at the end of her baggy grey sweater.

Terra stopped brushing at the back of her head. “Uh oh- sorry- did I pull at a knot?”

“No no, it’s okay, go on,” Namine waved it off, “What did you want me to do?”

“Water my plants for me will ya? I don’t want them to wither by the time I’m back.” Terra put the brush down on the small wooden table beside him, and started to separate her hair into two braids.

“Oh, sure. I’ll water them.”

“Thank you,” he said warmly, “I knew I could count on you.”

Namine smiled a little as she hummed. “Terra?”

“Hm?”

“Can I borrow your book? I want to try and read it on my own since you’ll be- you know.”

“Of course! That’d be great reading practice for you actually,” Terra tucked any remaining loose strands behind her ears and clipped them with a star hair pin, “There! All set.”

Namine grinned at the sight of her hair in the mirror as she rubbed at the little star. It had become a routine of sorts to have Terra braid her hair before she went to sleep. Her hair was thick and would become full of tangles by the next morning if it wasn’t tied up beforehand. And even though he already taught her how to braid her hair by herself, he never said no if she requested for him to do it for her. So, it just became a thing for her to have him braid her hair before she went to bed.

She slightly frowned when she realized he wouldn’t be there to do this for her for the next week. She knew that she could always do it by herself but- there was something nice about someone else taking the time to do her hair. It was easier for her to speak her mind. She felt more present and _real._ She wasn’t sure how she was going to deal without it for a whole week, especially when the one person she spent the most time with was going to be gone the entire time.

“Is something wrong?” Terra looked down at her in concern.

“No- I mean, I know I can do it myself but- who can I ask to braid my hair when you’re gone?” Namine crossed her arms over her stomach in a means to hug herself.

Terra gave her a sympathetic smile, “You could always ask Aqua or Ven. Actually- scratch that, don’t even ask Ven. Have you _seen_ his hair?”

Namine let out a small chuckle. “Don’t be mean.”

Terra belted out in a loud laugh. “I’m not! I’m just saying- he’s not the best person to ask. But anyway, I’m pretty sure Aqua’s braids are better than mine anyway, she’d love to do your hair if you ask.”

Namine felt hesitant towards the idea. “Are you sure?”

“I’m not just sure, I _know,_ ” he gently patted her back, “You two just haven’t gotten a chance to get close yet. But you’ll see. Now, it’s gonna be late pretty soon, so you should get to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, okay?”

Namine nodded as she got up from his desk chair. “Good night Terra.”

Terra waved, “G’night squirt.”

“Sleep tight.”

She could practically _hear_ his smile as she walked out of his room. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite.”

 

* * *

 

When Namine goes to sleep, she doesn’t dream in the traditional sense. She doesn’t see vague images or experience anything strange in her sleep. Instead, she gets dropped into memories. They’re usually her own, and when they are her own, it feels as if she’s reliving the whole event all over again. There has been the few occasions that she drops into somebody else’s memories, and when that happens, it’s like she’s a ghost, watching everything happen, unable to change any of it. She doesn’t know why it is that way, but she’d gotten used to it for the most part.

That night she dropped into a memory of her own, one that she kept safely tucked inside her heart.

_She was in her room, sitting on her bedside, her back to the moon shining its soft light into her room. Terra was sitting beside her, and he was trying to calm her down from a nightmare he woke her up from._

_“Come on Namine, breathe with me. It’s okay, you’re safe. Breathe in, and breathe out.”_

_Namine was shaking, but she nodded as she followed Terra’s directions._

_“Good, you’re doing great kiddo. Just a few more times, okay?” He had a hand gently rubbing her back in a soothing circular pattern._

_As Namine caught her breath, she focused on the gentle pressure on her back, and noticed how foreign it was to be cared about like this. She could still feel the phantom sting of a hand slapping her cheek. She could still feel the pure terror that comes with seeing pink petals flowing in the air. She looked up to meet Terra’s eyes, a pair of warm, concerned brown eyes, and compared them to the cold amber eyes she grew used to seeing in DiZ’s. She grew used to him reiterating that she couldn’t feel anything, that she wasn’t supposed to exist in the first place. And yet- that didn’t seem to matter to Terra at all._

_Terra treated her as if she was just like everybody else. As if she wasn’t born a Nobody, as if the body she had now wasn’t made from data, as if she wasn’t a witch. He looked at her and saw someone who needed a home, he saw someone who needed to be taken care of. And while she was aware of this to a degree when he first invited her to live with him, Ven and Aqua, it was fully sinking in at that moment. It was the middle of the night, and he was staying awake despite how exhausted he looked just because she had a nightmare. He didn’t have to do any of that, but he did, and it made something inside her break._

_She could feel him stiffen when she laid her head against his arm. She was so small she couldn’t even reach his shoulder, but it would have to do. Her eyes stung and there was a ball in her throat, and she started to shake again. And that’s when she felt his hand move from her back towards her shoulder, and his other arm wrapping around her in a hug, pulling her towards his chest. The only thing she could react to was the warmth that enveloped her, it was so warm and safe, that there was no stopping the tears falling down her cheeks. What made it worse? He didn’t pull away, he gave her a gentle squeeze, and leaned his chin on the top of her head. It was almost as if it was his way of physically protecting her from whatever was haunting her, and she held onto him for dear life._

When Namine woke up, her cheeks were wet. As she wiped the tear tracks away from her face, she looked out her bedside window and saw the sun was just getting over the horizon, painting the sky in pretty pink and purple pastel colors. Normally, she would take the time to admire the sight, maybe even do a little sketch of it in her notebook. But instead, all she could feel was dread weighing on her stomach, as she realized in just a few hours, Terra would be gone.


End file.
